CDSBEO: Lalonde acclaimed chair, Eamer re-elected vice-chair

From left at the CDSBEO Inaugural Board Meeting are Ron Eamer (vice-chair), Todd Lalonde (chair), John Cameron (director of education) and Bonnie Norton (associate director of education).
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KEMPTVILLE – Todd Lalonde has been acclaimed to a third term as chair, at the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario inaugural board meeting in Kemptville.

Lalonde is trustee for the City of Cornwall and Glengarry County.

“First and foremost I want to thank my board of trustees for the opportunity to serve another year as chair of the board,” said Lalonde, who’s entering his 13th year as Catholic school board trustee. “I’m humbled to be able to work alongside such a great group of people, as trustees and as friends.”

During the first meeting of the new board of trustees, City of Cornwall and Glengarry County trustee Ron Eamer was re-elected to the position of vice-chair of the board. Eamer has served as CDSBEO trustee since 1981 (serving on the predecessor SDG Catholic board prior to that), and has served terms as both chair and vice-chair.

“Everyone knows how much I appreciate the opportunity to be elected as vice-chair,” Eamer said. “I’ve been serving the board for a large part of my life, and I’m thankful to continue to work alongside my fellow trustees and administration.

“Together we’re providing a caring, nurturing place, where our students come to learn and build a foundation for the rest of their lives.”

John Cameron, the director of education, told the gathering that Lalonde and Eamer over many years have demonstrated their commitment to the Catholic education. Both trustees were acclaimed to their positions in the recent municipal election.

“That loyalty continues to be one of the central reasons that our board is viewed so positively in the province, not only in the Catholic education system, but in all of Ontario,” Cameron said.

Cameron at the meeting presented the 2018 Director’s Annual Report to the Board of Trustees, saying “I’m extremely pleased to present the report, which highlights the many accomplishments of the CDSBEO over the last year.”

They’re not the only local trustees in leadership positions among the area’s school boards for the next year.

North Stormont-North Dundas-Russell trustee François Bazinet was acclaimed as chair of the Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l’Est ontarien on Tuesday. It’s his second consecutive year in the post, having served as trustee since 2010.

An Ottawa-area trustee was chosen Tuesday to lead the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario, with the inaugural meeting for the Upper Canada District School Board scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 5.